Vibratory centrifuge



llg. 29, i967 Wl Q J. HECKMANN ET AL 3,338,417

VI BRATORY CENTR IFUGE Filed May 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Allg. 29, 1967W. Q jv HECKMANN ET AL 3,338,417

VIBRATORY CENTRIFUGE Filed May 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent O 3,338,417 VIBRATORY CENTRIFUGE Wolfgang Gertrud JosephHeckmann, Bergisch Gladbach, and Friedrich Fischer, Cologne-Sulz,Germany, assignors to Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz Aktiengesellschaft,Cologne-Deutz, Germany Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. N o. 452,978

Claims priority, application Germany, July 31, 1963,

6 Claims. (Cl. 210-370) This application is a continuation-in-part ofcopending application Ser. No. 370,522, liled May 27, 1964, nowabandoned and entitled, Vibratory Centrifuge.

The present invention relates to centrifuges.

More particularly, the present invention relates to centrifuges of thetype which are particularly adapted for removing liquid from granularmaterial.

Centrifuges of this type generally include a perforated drum which may,for example, have a horizontal axis and which is driven about itshorizontal axis so that granular material introduced into the perforateddrum will be pressed Iby centrifugal force against the inner surface ofthe perforated drum whereby the liquid can be cenrtifugally removed fromthe granular material. Such drums, in addition to being rotated, arevibrated so as to oscillate back and forth substantially along theiraxis, and in this way the material in the drum progresses axiallythereof while having liquid removed therefrom.

Although centrifuges of this general type are known, there areparticular problems involved in mounting such drums because of thecomplex movements which the perforated drum is required to carry out.Thus, as is apparent from the above discussion, the perforated drum isrequired not only to rotate but also to reciprocate axially.

Up to the present time while there are structures designed to provide adrum mounting enabling the drum to rotate and to reciprocate axially, ifthere is the least bit of lack of alignment between the pair ofI'bearings at the ends of the drum, considerable difficulties arisebecause of the fact that such drums are incapable of operating properlywhere there is such a lack of alignment. In other words, an elongatedhorizontal perforated rum of a centrifuge of the above type will besupported substantially at its opposed ends between a pair of bearingswhich are respectively located adjacent the opposed ends of the drum.

With constructions as known up to the present time, it is absolutelyessential that the bearings at the opposed ends of the drum have theircenters located along a common axis. However, during the assembly ofsuch -bearings and the mounting of a drum thereon, it has been foundalmost impossible to achieve precise coincidence between the drumbearings. The result is that the rotary drum cannot cope with this lackof alignment between these axes so that it is subjected to undesirablylarge stresses resulting from unbalanced forc'es acting on the drumduring rotation thereof and having as their source the almostunavoidable lack of alignment Ibetween the axes of the bearings at theends of the drum.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide acentrifuge of the above type which avoids the above drawbacks withrespect to the lack of coincidence between the axes of the drumbearings.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugeconstruction of the above type which is capable of accommodating itselfto any lack of coincidence between the drum bearings so that even thoughthe axes of these bearings are not precisely in alignment neverthelessthe drum is capable of being driven and vibrated axially without beingsubjected to undesirably large un ice balance forces resulting from thelack of alignment between the axes of the drum bearings.

It is in particular an object of the present invention to provide for arotary centrifuge drum of the above type a support which will give tothe drum at least limited free tilting movement with respect to thepoint of intersection between an axis which is substantially parallel tothe axis of the drum and a plane normal to the former axis.

It is also, in general, an object of the present invention to provide astructure which will be capable of transmitting rotary movement to acentrifuge drum while at the same time supporting the drum for limitedfree tiltability in all directions with respect to a given point and atthe same time protecting the drum from large stresses to which the drumwould 'be subjected in conventional structure and furthermore enablingthe drum to be reciprocated axially.

The objects of the present invention also include the provision of acentrifuge structure which is of very light weight so that the stressesresulting from rotary and vibratory movement are maintained relativelysmall.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a centrifuge in whichthe material can flow along the inner surface of a perforated drumwithout encountering any sudden, sharp changes in the diameter of thedrum.

According to the invention the rotary perforated drum of the centrifugehas a substantially horizontal axis and is supported for at leastlimited free tiltability in all directions about the point ofintersection between a second axis which is in substantial concidencewith the drum axis and a plane normal to this second axis, and inaddition the means which supports the drum for free limited tiltabilityabout this point of intersection also functions to transmit rotarymovement to the drum.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional illustration of one possibleembodiment of a structure according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of astructure according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates -an elongated perforated drum 1 in a schematicmanner. 4The `drum includes an elongated cylindical portion 2 and afrustoconical portion 3- which at its smaller end is removably connectedwith the right end of the cylindrical portion 2, as viewed in thedrawing, by way of a ring 4 which is removably fixed in an unillustratedmanner to a inwardly directed flange at the small end of thefrustoconical drum portion 3 and an outwardly directed ilange at theright end of the cylindrical drum portion 2. The drum Iportions 2 and 3have a common axis which is substantially horizontal.

At its left end, as viewed in FIG. l, the drum 1 is fixed with a ringwhich surrounds and engages a yieldable resilient ring S made of rubber,for example, and the ring 5 is capable of yielding axially in the regionof its outer periphery during axial reciprocation of the drum. The ring5 surrounds and is carried by an elongated hollow tubular shaft '6 whichis supported -for rotary movementl by bearings 7 which are in turncarried by a machine frame 8. A supply conduit 9, for supplying granularmaterial to the drum, extends through the hollow shaft 6 and at its leftend, as viewed in FIG. l, is connected in an unillustrated manner to ahopper or the like supplied with the moist granular material which owsthrough the conduit 9 into the cylindrical portion 2 of the drum, as

indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1.

A connecting means is provided for connecting the j perforated drum 1 toa structure which will rotate they drurn as well as support the latterfor limited tilting movement in all directions about a given point, asdescribed below. This connecting means includes an inner frustoconicalmember which is of substantially the same inclination as the member 3and which is surrounded by and substantially uniform-ly spaced from thelatter, the mem-ber 10 being closed at its left end and open only at itsright end, and of course, the `right end of the frustoconical member 10is the larger end thereof. A plurality of elongated rigid projections 11are xed to the smaller end of the yfrustoconical member 10, areuniformly distributed about the axis of the drum, and at their outerends which are distant from the f-rustoconical member 10, these rigidprojections 11 are fixed to the ring 4,'so that in this way, theconnecting means 10, 11 is iixed to the drum 1.

At its outer, larger end, the rustoconical member 10 is fixed rigidlywith an outer channel 12 having a pair of inwardly directed side walls13 and 14, and a pair of yieldable resilient rings 15 made of rubber,`for example, are received within the channel 12 and engage the walls 13and 14 thereof, as is shown in FIG. l. The rings 15 press againstopposed faces, respectively, of an outwardly directed annular i'lnage 16which is fixed to, and in fact may form an integral part of, acylindrical member 17, the outwardly directed ange 16 being located in aplane normal to the axis of the member 17, and of course the ilange 161sreceived in the outer channel 12.

Thus, the connceting means 10, 11, through the channel 12, compressesthe rings 15 against the ange 16. In other words the distance betweenthe walls 13 and 14 is somewhat smaller than the total width of therings 15 when they are unstressed, and thus these rings 15 whenassembled with the flange 1-6 and the channel 12 in the manner shown inFIG. l are compressed between the ange 16 and .the side walls 13 and 14,respectively. The hollow cylindrical member 17 is supported for rotarymovement `by a pair of bearings 18 which are in turn carried by a hollowstationary shaft 19 also iixedly carried by the machine frame 8. Apulley 20 is fixed to and surrounds the hollow shaft 17 and is driventhrough unillustrated belts and an unillustrated motor, so that a drivemeans 20 drives the cylindrical member 17 which transmits its rotationto the drum 1 through the rings 15 and the connecting means 10, 11.

A reciprocating means is provided for moving the drum back and forthalong its axis, and this reciprocating means includes a rotary crank 22driven in any suitable way and shown only schematically in FIG. 1 sinceit forms no part of the invention. This rotary crank is pivotallyconnected to one end of an elongated connecting rod 21 which extendsthrough and beyond the hollow stationary shaft 19, and at its left endthe conecting rod 21 is received within the inner race of a bearing. Theinner race is situated between a pair of collars which are fixed to theconnecting rod 21, as illustrated in FIG. l, so that the bearing willreciprocate back and forth with the connecting rod 21 during rotation ofthe crank 22. The connecting rod 21 has a limited free slidability withrespect to the bearing so that a loose connection is provided betweenthe connecting rod 21 and the bearing which surrounds its left free end,as viewed in FIG. 1.

The outer race of the bearing 23 is fixed to an inner channel 24 whichhas outwardly directed side walls, and a pair of yieldableresilientrings 25, also made of rubber, for example, are receivedbetween the side walls of the inner channel 24. The left side wall 14 ofthe channel 12 has at its inner periphery an inwardly directedfrustoconical extension 27 which terminates at its smaller end in aninwardly directed flange which is received in the channel 24 between therings 25 therein. Rings 25 are compressed between the side walls of thechannel 24 and the inwardly directed annular ange which is fixed withlthe channel 12.

It is also to be noted that the inwardly directed annular ange receivedbetween the rings 25 is located substantially in the same plane as t-heoutwardly directed annular flange 16. It is apparent that with thisconstruction, when the connecting rod 21 is .driven by the crank 22, thechannel 24, which rotates with the channel 12, will be reciprocatedvback and forth and will have its reciprocation transmitted through theconnecting means 10, 11 to the d-rum 1 which is thus rotated andsimultaneously vibrated axiallly.

It is to be noted that the wall 14 together with its extension 27 andtogether with the channel 24 and the bearings 23 serve to close the openend of the frustoconical member 10.

The machine frame 8 is supported by rubber springs 29 on the oor wherethe centrifuge is located. Also, the machine frame is lodged within ahousing 30 which is open only at its bottom but otherwise completelyencloses the structure with substantial clearance, as shown in FIG. 1.

During operation the rotary drive from the pulley 20 is transmittedthrough the cylindrical member 17 and its liange 16 to the rings 15which in turn transmit the rotation to the channel 12 and from thelatter rotation is transmitted through the member 10 and projections 11to the drum 1 which thus rotates at the same speed as the cylindricalmember 17.

Simultaneously, the rotary crank 22 serves through the connecting rod 21and the elements 23, 24 and 14 to set the drum 1 into substantiallyaxial vibratory movement through the connecting means 10, 11. In thisWay, the rings 15 will alternately become further compressed and thenpermitted to expand slightly while the ring 5 will freely move at outersperipheral portion back and forth in response to the axial vibratorymotion of the drum 1.

Moreover, the rubber rings 5 and 15 form, from the rotary drum 1 and themachine frame which is supported by the rubber springs 29, a two-masssystem so that the machine frame vibrates oppositely to the drum and, inthis way, the yforces resulting -from the vibratory movements arecompensated.

When the granular material is supplied through the conduit 9 into thedrum, this material progresses under the influence of the vibratorymotion longitudinally along the drum wall toward the right, as viewed inthe drawing, while liquid is centrifugally extracted from the granularmaterial, and the dried granular material leaves the drum at its rightfree edge where it falls down into a suitable bin or the like. Thecentrifugally separated liquid is received in the chambers 32 and 33 ofthe centrifuge housing and is drained away in an unillustrated manner.

With the construction of the invention, the rings 15 not only serve totransmit rotary movement to the drum but in addition they permit thedrum to assume any inclination about the axis of the cylindrical member17, within certain limits. This tiltability of the drum is achievedwithout any tendency of the drum to fall downwardly as a result of itsweight.

The results achieved by the invention are particularly clear if onevisualizes the structure with the ring 5 removed. With this ring 5removed the left open end of the drum can be tilted in all directions.When the drum is thus tilted, it tilts about the point of intersectionbetween the axis of the cylindrical member 17 and the plane normal tothis axis in which the ange 16 is located. Thus, the drum has limitedfree tiltability about the point S which is situated at the intersectionbetween the axis of the cylindrical member 17 and the plane in which theange 16 is located.

Only a very small force is required to provide this tilting of the drumso that it is clear that the rings 15 with the structure whichcooperates therewith serve to support the drum 1 in substantially thesame way as a universal joint permitting limited tiltability of the drum1, in all directions with respect to the point S.

Inasmuch as the flange received between the rings 25 is located in thesame plane as the fiange 16, it is clear that the vibratory motionimparted through the loose connection between the rod 21 and the bearing23 has substantially no influence on the universal free movability ofthe drum.

The ring 5 serves only as a freely yieldable support for the end of thedrum distant from the ring 15. Thus, the ring 5 is made for this purposeof quite'a small size and is relatively weak and very easy to compressor to bend so that it has practically no infiuence on the inclination ofthe drum. In this way, the ring 5 permits the drum 1 to assume any tiltangle with respect to the point S without transmitting any additionalystresses to the hollow shaft 6 and the bearings 7. Thus, the rubberspring 5 forms a universal joint between the drum 1 and the hollow shaft6.

As a result of the above-described universal joint type of connectionbetween the drum, and the cylindrical member 17, on the one hand, andthe hollow shaft 6, on the other hand, even if there is a lack ofalignment between the axes of the bearings 7 and 18, nevertheless thedrum will be capable of assuming any angle of tilt resulting from suchlack of alignment between these axes without, however, causing the drumto have any tendency as the result of its own weight to lfall or movedownwardly because of the angle of inclination of its axis.

Thus, the structure of the invention guarantees that the drum as well asthe bearings 7 and 18 will have a long life of useful operation even ifit should happen that the axis of the cylindrical member 17 does notcoincide with the axis of the hollow shaft 6 but instead is eitheroffset with respect to this axis or extends at .an angle thereto.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 2, thereis also a rotary perforated drum 41 composed of parts 42 and 43, but itwill be noted that in this case both of these parts are of afrustoconical configuration with the part 43 forming substantially acontinuation of and having the same slope as the part 42. At theiradjoining ends the frustoconical perforated drum parts 42 and 43 of thedrum 41 have outwardly directed flanges between which is located a flatring 44 to which the fianges of the frustoconical drum parts 42 and 43are releasably fixed, so that in this way the parts 42 and 43 form aunitary structure and are held together through the ring 44.

At its end which receives the material which is to be centrifuged, therotary drum 41-is supported by way of a rubber ring 45, which is capableof yielding axially, on a hollow supporting shaft 46 which is supportedfor rotation by the bearings 47 and 48. These bearings are carried bythe machine frame 49. 'I'he material-supply pipe 50 extends withclearance through the hollow shaft 46 so as to deliver to the interiorof the perforated drum the particulate material from which the moistureis to be centrifuged.

At its opposite end, the drum 41 accommodates, in its interior, afrustoconical member 51 which is inclined oppositely to thefrustoconical per-forated drum member 43 which surrounds the innerfrustoconical member 51. The inner, larger end of the frustoconicalmember 51 is provided with a plurality of cutouts 52 through which thecentrifuged material can freely pass. The frustoconical member 51includes elongated integral fingers 53 which form continuations of andare of the same slope as the lfrustoconical wall of the member 51. Thesefingers are situated between the cutouts 52, and it is the free ends ofthese fingers 53 which are fixed to the ring 44, so that in this way thefrustoconical member 51 is fixedly mounted within the drum 41 forrotation therewith.

It is particularly `to be noted that with this construction it ispossible for the material to progress from the frustoconical pa-rt 42 tothe frustoconical part 43 without any substantial change in the slope ofthe inner surface of the drum so that a smooth, stepless transfer of thematerial takes place from the drum part 42 to the drum part 43. In thisrespect the embodiment of FIG. 2 is superior to that of FIG. l where itwill be noted there is a sudden increase in the diameter of the drum atthe region where the frustoconical part 3 thereof joins the cylindricalpart 2. Thus, the drum 41 of FIG. 2 has a smooth interior surface whichis free of any shou-lders, steps, or the like, and in this way therelatively high wear of the perforated drum, at a stepped region thereofsuch as the region where a pair of successive drum parts adjoin eachother as shown in FIG. 1, is avoided with the structure of FIG. 2.

In order to rotate the drum 41, a motor 54, shown at the upper right ofFIG. 2, drives, through the V-belt drive 55, a pulley 56 which iscoaxially fixed to a hollow shaft 57. This hollow shaft 57 is supportedfor rotation by the elongated hollow supporting pin 58 which is carriedby the machine frame 49. For this purpose the hollow pin 58 carries apair of bearings 59 and 60 which serve to support the hollow shaft 57-for free rotary movement with respect to the stationary hollow -pin 58.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, an annular channel member 61 is fixed tothe hollow shaft 57 for rotation therewith, this channel member 61having its hollow interior directed inwardly toward the axis of theshaft 57. One of the side walls of the channel 61 is fixed directly tothe .hollow shaft 57 as by being formed integrally therewith.

This hollow channel 61 accommodates in its interior ya pair of rubberrings 62 and 63 which are compressed between the side walls of the-channel 61 and which press against a ring 64 which is fixed to thefrustoconical member 51, coaxially therewith. Therefore, with theembodiment of FIG. 2, the channel which accommodates the pair of rubberrings is carried directly by the rotary drive means and the rubber ringspress against a ange which is carried by the inner frustoconical memberwhich is situated in the interior of the perforated drum, whereas inFIG. 1 it is the frustoconical member which carries the channel and thefiange which is compressed between the rubber rings is carried by therotary drive.

This distinction of FIG. 2 over FIG. 1 is also of considerableadvantage. Thus by fixedly connecting the channel 61, not to thefrustoconical member 51, but instead to the hollow shaft 57, thischannel 61 does not vibrate with the perforated drum, and in this waythe forces of the vibratory masses can be held relatively low so thatthe structure of FIG. 2 can be designed with these relatively low forcestaken into consideration and thus it is possible to make the machine ofFIG. 2 lighter than the machine of FIG. 1.

The ring 64 is provided at its inner periphery with a channel 65 throughwhich the ring 64 is in fact connected to the frustoconical member 51,this channel 65 being at least partly integral with the ring 64, in theexample illustrated. The channel 65 also has its hollow annular interiordirected inwardly. Within the channel 65 are situated the pair of rubberrings 66 and 67 which are compressed be'- tween the side walls of thechannel 65 and which in turn press against a ring 68 -to which thestructure -for axially reciprocating the centrifuge is connected.

This latter structure includes the elongated connecting rod 69 of thevibratory drive which, through the bearing 70 and the housing 71, whichsurrounds this Abearing 70, is fixed with the ring 68. Thus, the housing71 can rotate freely with respect to the rod 69 but is constrained toreciprocate axially therewith. The ring 68 is fixed to the housing 71 soas to rotate and reciprocate axially with the housing 71, so that inthis Way the axial reciprocation is transmitted to the perforated drumto cause the material therein to progress to the right, as viewed inFIG, 2,.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the right end of the shaft 69slidably surrounds an eccentric portion of a rotary shaft 72 which isdriven by the V-belt drive 73, 74. Thus, the pulley 73 is fixed to theshaft 72 and is driven by the V-belts 74 which are in turn driven from asuitable pulley which is directly rotated, for example, by the motor 75.Therefore, with this construction the perforated drum 41 is set intoaxial vibratory motion.

By situating the rubber rings 62, 63 and `66, 67 in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 2, tilting of the axis of the drum 41 with respectto the hollow shaft 57 is permitted without, however, undesirablytransmitting any 0f the forces produced by such tilting either to thedrum 41 or to the bearings which support the shaft 57. Moreover, sincethe rubber rings 62 and 63 are situated in the channel 61 which is fixedto the shaft 57, the coupling structure between the rotary drive and theaxial vibratory drive is rendered extremely simple. Also, with thestructure of FIG. 2, the connection of the drum 41 to the rotaryvibratory drives permits the drum 41 to have its axis somewhat inclinedbecause of a lack of precise alignment in the bearings, without,however, transmitting in this way any additional forces to the drum 41or the hollow supporting pin 58 or the bearings 59 and 60.

The machine frame 49 is supported with respect to the floor or the likeby way of the rubber springs 76. Also, the machine frame carries ahousing 77 which is open at its bottom but otherwise is completelyenclosed and freely surrounds the drum 41 without engag-ing the latter.Thus, it is to be noted that at its right end, as viewed in FIG. 2, thedrum 43 has a ange which is directed outwardly and rearwardly, to theleft as viewed in FIG. 2. This flange turns with free clearance in anopening of a wall of the housing 77 so that it does not engage the wallof this housing. The same is true of the opening of the wall throughwhich the hollow drive shaft 57 extends, the latter shaft extendingthrough the right wall of the housing 77 with sufcient clearance toguarantee free rotation without any possible rubbing of the rotary partswith the stationary housing parts.

During operation of the centrifuge of FIG. 2, the turning moment whichis transmitted by the pulley S6 to the drive shaft 57 is in turntransmitted through the channel 61 and the rubber rings 62 and 63 to thering 64 from which the drive is transmitted through the hollowfrustoconical member 51 and the fingers 53 to the drum 41, so that thisdrum necessarily turns at the same speed as the shaft 57.Simultaneously, the drum 41 is axially vibrated as a result of the crankor eccentric drive 72. In this way the rubber rings 62, 63 and 66, 67are compressed and the vring 45 at the left end of the drum 41 isstressed simply by being pushed and pulled. The rubber rings of thestructure of the invention moreover form from the drum 41 and themachine frame 49 which is carried by the rubber bodies 76 a two-masssystem which Vibrates in such a way that the vibration of the frame 49opposes that of the drum 41, and in this way the vibratory forcesbalance each other. This is also true of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

When a charge of material which is to be centrifuged is introducedthrough the pipe 50 into the perforated drum, this material willprogress under the action of the vibratory motion along the innersurface of the perforated drum from left to right, as viewed in FIG. 2,and simultaneously any liquid in the material is centrifugally extractedtherefrom. The centrifuged material discharges from the drum at thedischarge opening formed by its free right edge, as viewed in FIG. 2,and then falls into a bin which is not illustrated in FIG. 2 and whichis situated at an elevationlower than the centrifuge. The centrifugallyseparated liquid, however, is received by the inner surface of thehousing 77 and flows out of the latter through the opening 7 8 formedinthe oor of the housing -77.

It is apparent that, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the pair of rings 15and, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the pair of rings 62 and 63 form ineach of these embodiments an axially compressed annular spring means,and it is through this axially compressed annular spring means that therotary drive is transmitted in its ent-irety to the rotary drum, whileat the same time this :axially compressed spring means forms the solesupport means for the rotary drum in the region of the driven endthereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vibratory centrifuge adapted to remove liquids from granularmaterial, a hollow cylindrical member, a hollow stationary shaftextending coaxially into said cylindrical member, bearing means carriedby said shaft and supporting said cylindrical member for rotary movementabout the common axis of said shaft and cylindrical member, saidcylindrical member having at one end an outwardly directed annularflange located in a -plane normal to the axis of said cylindricalmember, an elongated perforated rotary drum adapted to receive thegranular material from which liquid is to be removed, said drum beingsubstantially coaxial with said cylindrical member, a pair of yieldableresilient rings respectively engaging opposed faces of said ange andbeing substantially coaxial with said cylindrical member, connectingmeans connecting said drum to said rings and compressing the latteragainst said flange so that said drum has limited tiltability in alldirections with respect to the point of intersection between the axis ofsaid cylindrical member and the plane in which said iiange is locatedand so that rotary movement of said cylindrical member is transmitted tosaid drum through said rings and said connecting means, andreciprocating means operatively connected to said drum for reciprocatingthe latter back and forth substantially along its axis, saidreciprocating means extending through said hollow shaft.

2. In a centrifuge as recited in claim 1, said hollow shaft having oneopen end directed away from said drum and an opposite open end directedtoward said drum, said reciprocating means including a rotary cranklocated adjacent said one end of said hollow shaft, an elongatedconnecting rod -pivotally connected at one end to said crank andextending through and beyond sfaid hollow shaft, and said connectingmeans being connected to said connecting rod at the end thereof which isadjacent said opposite end of said hollow shaft, so that reciprocatingmovement is transmitted through said connecting means to said drum.

3. In a centrifuge adapted particularly for removing liquid fromgranular material, a hollow cylindrical member, a hollow shaft extendinginto and being coaxial with said cylindrical member, bearing meanssupporting said cylindrical member for free rotary movement on saidshaft about the common axis of said shaft and cylindrical member, drivemeans oper-atively connected to said cylindrical member for rotating thelatter about its axis, said cylindrical member having atone end anoutwardly directed annular flange located in a plane normal to the axisof said cylindrical member, an outer annular channel having inwardlydirected side walls receiving said flange of said cylindrical memberbetween said side walls, an inner channel substantially coaxial withsaid outer channel and having outwardly directed side walls, one of saidside walls of said outer channel having a frustoconical extensionextending toward said inner channel and carrying at its smaller end aninwardly directed annular flange located in substantially the same planeas said outwardly directed annular flange and received between theoutwardly directed side walls of said inner channel, a pair of outeryieldable resilient rings respectively engaging opposed faces of saidoutwardly directed ange and compressed between the latter and theinwardly directed side walls of said outer channel, a pair of inneryieldable resilient rings located within and engaging the side Walls ofsaid inner channel and also engaging said inwardly directed annularflange and being compressed between the latter and said side walls ofsaid inner channel, reciprocating means extending through said hollowshaft and operatively connected to said inner channel for reciprocatingthe latter substantially along the axis of said cylindrical member, anelongated rotary perforated drum substantially coaxial with saidcylindrical member and having ing one end adjacent to said outerchannel, and connecting means fixed to said outer channel and to saiddrum for transmitting rotation of said outer channel to said drum aswell as for transmitting reciprocation of said inner channel to saiddrum, whereby said drum has rotation transmitted thereto by said outerrings, reciprocation transmitted thereto by said inner rings, and haslimited tiltability in all directions about the point of intersectionbetween the axis of said cylindrical member and the plane in which saidoutwardly and inwardly directed flanges are located.

4. In a centrifuge as recited in claim 3, said connecting meansincluding a hollow frustoconical member open at only one end and fixedat its open end substantially coaxially to said outer channel, so thatthe wall of said outer channel which terminates in said inner flangeextending into said inner channel serves to substantially close saidhollow frustoconical member of said connecting for substantiallyunrestrained tilting movement with the remainder of said drum about saidpoint of intersection.

6. In a centrifuge as recited in claim S, said drum having asubstantially cylindrical portion extending from said open end thereoftoward said plane in which said anges are located and having asubstantially frustoconical portion of the same inclination as saidhollow frustoconical member of said connecting means surrounding thelatter and substantially uniformly spaced therefrom, said hollowfrustoconical member of said connecting means having elongatedprojections fixed thereto, and said projections forming part of saidconnecting means and being fixed to said drum at the junction betweenits cylindrical and frustoconical portions.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,157,551, November 1963.

SAMIH N. ZAHARNA, Primary Examiner.

REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Examiner.

I. L. DECESARE, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A VIBRATORY CENTRIFUGE ADAPTED TO REMOVE LIQUIDS FROM GRANDULARMATERIAL, A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, A HOLLOW STATIONARY SHAFTEXTENDING COAXIALLY INTO SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, BEARING MEANS CARRIEDBY SAID SHAFT AND SUPPORTING SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER FOR ROTARY MOVEMENTABOUT THE COMMON AXIS OF SAID SHAFT AND CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAIDCYLINDRICAL MEMBER HAVING AT ONE END AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTED ANNULARFLANGE LOCATED IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER,AN ELONGATED PERFORATED ROTARY DRUM ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE GRANULARMATERIAL FROM WHICH LIQUID IS TO BE REMOVED, SAID DRUM BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, A PAIR OF YIELDABLERESILIENT RINGS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING OPPOSED FACES OF SAID FLANGE ANDBEING SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, CONNECTINGMEANS CONNECTING SAID DRUM TO SAID RINGS AND COMPRESSING THE LATTERAGAINST SAID FLANGE TO SAID RINGS AND COMPRESSING THE LATTER IN ALLDIRECTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE POINT OF INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE AXIS OFSAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND THE PLANE IN WHICH SAID FLANGE IS LOCATEDAND SO THAT ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER IS TRANSMITTED TOSAID DRUM THROUGH AND RINGS AND SAID CONNECTING MEANS, AND RECIPROCATINGMEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DRUM FOR RECIPROCATING THE LATTERBACK AND FORTH SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG ITS AXIS, SAID RECIPROCATING MEANSEXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT.